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Jankovic survives Safarova challenge

June 29, 2007 22:04 IST
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Third seed Jelena Jankovic had to work very hard on Friday to quell the challenge of Czech Lucie Safarova 5-7, 7-6, 6-2 and reach the fourth round at Wimbledon.

The in-form Serb had dropped only four games in her two previous matches but she was caught out by the superior attacking tactics of Safarova for almost two sets.

The 20-year-old Czech trailed 3-1 in the first set before finding her range and she stunned Jankovic with a series of pin-point drive volleys.

After winning the first set on a double fault, Safarova kept up the pace in the second but Jankovic hung on to take it 7-4 in the tiebreak.

A 30-minute rain delay appeared to have come in the nick of time for Jankovic, who was struggling with a thigh strain and on resumption she ran away with the decider. An erring backhand from Safarova settled the high-quality contest.

Jankovic will next play either France's Marion Bartoli or Shahar Peer of Israel in an attempt to reach the quarter-finals here for the first time.

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Source: REUTERS
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